You can tell Generation X is in charge of television today from the sheer volume of ‘80s-themed shows that have made it onto the airwaves in the last few years. We’re going out on a limb and saying it started in 1999 with Freaks and Geeks, and we’ll fast-forward through the dreck that was That ‘80s Show to Everybody Hates Chris (c. 2005), which set up a run that continues today with two of the best shows on television.

The Americans is the granddaddy of them all, hailed by everyone from the New York Times and the Washington Post to Rolling Stone as the best drama on television since its debut in 2013. The hour-long drama stars real-life couple Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys as Russian “illegals” — KGB agents living undercover in the United States who wind up being next door neighbors with a senior FBI counterintelligence agent. Gritty (and appropriately violent), it’s both a Cold War thriller that begins with the inauguration of Ronald Reagan in 1981 and a meditation on the meaning of marriage and infidelity. Every character is perfectly drawn — and beautifully acted by a stellar cast. New to the show? Catch the season one trailer (runtime: 1:00). Already love it? The season five trailer is here (runtime: 1:00). Season five debuts on Tuesday, 7 March. Collider has seen the first episode and says “the best show on TV feels poised to keep its crown.” The Hollywood Reporter has a behind-the-scenes look from the season one premiere. It’s not on Egyptian Netflix, but we’re buying seasons passes on iTunes.

Netflix’s horror / science fiction Stranger Things is an exceptionally close second behind The Americans in the running for best show on TV today. Set in the fictional rural town of Hawkins, Indiana, in the early 1980s, Stranger Things will ring as pitch-perfect for anyone who grew up as a kid in the ‘80s riding bikes through the woods, playing Dungeons and Dragons or attending cinderblock-institutional schools — or for anyone who raised one of the aforementioned kids. The Winona Ryder vehicle’s child stars are its heart and soul: The story kicks off when a member of a tightly knit group of kids goes missing — and a nearby lab that does research on the paranormal and supernatural for the US Department of Energy is suspect. Showrunners the Duffer Brothers are clear on their inspiration: The show reeks of Stephen King and Steven Spielberg. From the official Netflix description: “A desperate search for a missing boy uncovers a haunting girl with horrible secrets and a strange, unsettling origin story. This nostalgic nod to 1980s sci-fi/horror classics pays homage to ‘E.T.,’ ‘Poltergeist’ and the novels of Stephen King.” Season one (watch the trailer) was a smash hit when it launched last summer and is available on Egyptian Netflix. Season two will debut on Halloween Night this year — catch the trailer for it here (runtime: 0:36). Want more? Check out the show’s Facebook page and Twitter feed.

Honorable mention: Computer Show, by Sandwich Video. You aren’t a tech startup with a “neat tech product” in good standing in San Francisco if Sandwich hasn’t made a video for you, like this ‘classic’ for chat app Slack.

Stephen King, the literary embodiment of the 1980s, is getting in on the act: The author has teamed up with Lost director JJ Abrams to launch a 1980s-themed show titled Castle Rock. The Verge has the story — and a teaser video. It’s not clear when the Hulu original, first teased in mid-February, is due to debut — not even a Hulu press release handed out a week after the video appeared on Youtube has much to say on that front. King fans will recognize Castle Rock as the setting for Cujo, The Dead Zone and Needful things, among other works.